CHENNAI: In an attempt to minimise human-animal conflicts near forests in the State and to stop economic damage caused by animals straying into agricultural fields on the peripheries of forests, the Forest Department will soon create “green fodder banks” within reserve forest areas.A GO providing administrative sanction to the scheme has been issued on December 14. Sources said that following the review meeting of the department held in July, a proposal was sent to the government detailing the measures that could be taken to curtail wild animals from straying into agricultural fields. The proposal had stated that the department had been paying “a huge amount of money” as compensation for damages caused to crops by wild animals, apart from loss of human lives and injuries during man-animal confrontations. Such incidents mainly involved elephants which move in herds in search of food. The proposal said that based on the pattern of elephant feeding, preference would be given to identify species of fodder plants. Also, “standardised nursery techniques of planting fast-growing, short-rotation species to meet immediate consumption needs, and moderately growing species leading to permanent fodder bank” would be taken up.The proposal also suggested the application of salt licks (also called as mineral licks) to artificial water holes to “supplement mineral requirements” of elephants. This would be carried out within the migratory corridor to keep animals within the migratory route.Creation of fodder banks would commence from the current financial year itself.
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